Prediction for Rangers vs Braga: Back Gers to make fast start and lift roof off Ibrox

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Rangers' long unbeaten record against Portuguese clubs ended in the first leg of this UEFA Europa League quarter-final against Braga, so the Scottish champions must return to winning ways at Ibrox if they are to reach their first European semi-final in 14 years.

Despite that first leg deficit, Rangers are shorter odds (16/1) to win the Europa League than Braga (25/1) and the Scottish side are odds-on (10/11) to win Thursday's second leg.

The market is firmly on Rangers side but if they are to justify those odds then they will need to play a good bit better than in Portugal, where Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side couldn't muster a single shot on target. Rangers could manage an xGF of just 0.7 on the night - their worst attacking output in this competition since the 1-1 draw in Lyon in September.

However, with a packed Ibrox roaring them on, we might just see a very different game this time. The Gers have lost just five of their last 32 European home matches (W20 D7), although three of those defeats have come in the last eight – against Slavia, Malmö and Lyon.

Expect the hosts to come flying out of the traps and an early goal could completely change the complexion of this tie. Rangers have scored early goals in their last two home matches in this competition as well as in their last two SPL matches.

Braga have now won four games on the spin thanks to the weekend victory at Vizela but they have found clean sheets hard to come by on the road this term and Rangers could really swing the momentum of this tie with an early strike.

No side has kept a clean sheet at Ibrox since Lyon way back in September and it's unlikely Braga will